The Hidden Truth
by CelticInTheAU
Summary: He had hidden the truth from his partner and boss for too long.   When Steve gets gravely injured, Danny confesses his feelings in the heat of the moment, thinking Steve can't hear him. He didn't know how wrong he was, though. McDanno slash. M.


"You know, you've really got to stop doing that. One of these days one of those super-SEAL moves of yours either isn't going to work, or it's going to backfire and you're going to end up seriously hurt, or worse; dead."

Steve rolled his eyes as Danny started on yet another of his overly gestured rants. His hand tightened around the wheel as he continued on the road back to HQ, trying to ignore whatever it was Danny was spouting about this time.

"But it didn't, and I'm perfectly okay."

"Perfectly okay? Are you serious?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"I want you to acknowledge the fact that come tomorrow, your face will be various shades of purple and blue; you are going to have welts on your chest where those bullets hit your vest – aren't you glad I forced it on you now? Let's not mention the fact that -"

"Alright, just quit with the damn ranting, Danno," he grit out, putting the Camaro in park and hopping out. He briskly walked into HQ to the sound of Danny's continued ranting, tugging at the velcro of his flak vest as he went, tossing it to the floor as he entered.

"You gonna clean that up, boss?"

Steve turned around at Kono's softly spoken words, seeing her standing at the computer table with Lori and Chin. He bit his lip slightly to hold back his words, raising a finger to them as a still-ranting Danny, complete with hand gestures, entered HQ. Steve then pointed over to Danny and started for his office.

"I'll deal with it later."

The cousins and Lori rolled their eyes at their boss' actions, turning to Danny, watching as he muttered while removing his own vest.

"Do any of us want to ask?" Lori was the brave one to approach Danny, who just shook his head.

"Let's not," Chin replied, reaching out to clap Danny on his back. "I'm going to start on the paperwork for this one."

"Good idea," Lori nodded, and both she and Chin went to their respective offices.

Kono remained in the squad room, carefully looking Danny over before letting out a sigh. "You need to tell him, Danny."

Danny shook his head and replied with a, "No, Kono," before turning to go into his own office.

Kono sighed again, rubbing the back of her neck and wishing that men were a lot simpler to deal with. Then again, if they were any easier to deal with, they wouldn't be her boss and his partner. She laughed to herself as she retreated to her own office, ready to fix up her share of the paperwork.

* * *

><p>Danny sat at his desk, thinking over the past few overly eventful days. He had finally opened up to someone about his true feelings, tired of having them gnawing away at him, but he now regretted telling Kono.<p>

_Why would I tell Steve how I feel, when I know he'll never feel the same?_ He sighed as he quickly signed a form, dropping his pen onto the desk when he saw the time out of the corner of his eye. Grabbing the keys to the Camaro from where Steve left them, Danny ran a hand over his face before leaving his office.

Chin, Lori and Kono were all back in the main squad room, and he gave them a small, distracted wave before heading out of the building and to the parking lot. He was still pissed with McGarrett, so he wasn't bothered to say goodbye to his boss.

Climbing into the car, he started off for Grace's school, ready to spend the afternoon with his monkey.

* * *

><p>He rested his forehead against the steering wheel, breathing out as the gates to Rachel's house closed. Pulling himself up, Danny started the Camaro and pulled away from the property, heading for the McGarrett house. He allowed himself to get lost in his thoughts as he drove, considering his reasoning to visit Steve after the day they had.<p>

Danny knew he needed to talk to him about everything that happened in a way that could potentially show Steve his feelings. But he knew that no matter what, Steve would continue to fight his point, and continue to put his life on the line.

"God damn super-SEAL," he muttered, turning off at the set of lights, slowing his speed down as he coasted through the residential streets. He couldn't deny any longer just how much he hurt whenever Steve got injured or put himself in a potentially deadly situation. Danny knew he had to come clean tonight.

Parking the car out front of Steve's house, he took note of his partner's truck in the drive, but there were no lights on inside the house. Figuring he was out on his private beach, Danny wandered around the side of the house and stepped onto the sand, finding Steve out on the lana'i, sitting forward on one of the deck chairs as he nursed a bottle of beer between his hands. Danny took in Steve's hunched posture, and he bit his lip in worry, wondering what had Steve noticeably upset.

Without giving himself time to think over his actions, Danny walked the short distance to his partner, setting himself down in the other chair. He hunched over slightly, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of his badge digging into his thigh.

The two men stayed silent, Steve sipping from his bottle before muttering something.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Danny had honestly missed what Steve said, and he turned his head toward Steve, noticing the bruises he had mentioned earlier already blooming on his tanned skin.

"I said, "I'm sorry," Danno," Steve repeated with a sigh, looking up at his partner.

"What for?" He knew he wanted to say more, but he wanted Steve to explain, as he didn't want to influence Steve's reasoning in any way.

"For… shit," Steve paused, rubbing a hand over his face. "For everything you said in the car."

"You need to take better care of yourself, Steven," Danny sighed. "Five-0 wouldn't exist without you, and I doubt we'd be able to continue without your leadership. So, just… take more care of yourself."

Danny rest his hand on Steve's shoulder, watching as the darker haired man nodded.

"Yeah… yeah," Steve nodded, standing up. "C'mon, I taped a game, if you wanna join."

Danny couldn't say "no" to spending time with Steve, so he nodded and followed his partner inside.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week had passed with little to no activity for the taskforce to be bothered with. It was Friday afternoon, and Danny was hoping to get out early so he could try and tidy his place up before Grace came over in the morning. Of course, there had to be something to interfere with those plans.<p>

Steve had received news of a new lead to some case they shelved as being "cold" a few months ago, and of course, Danny's Camaro was his preferred vehicle, and Danny his preferred help. This, the blonde now realized, made total sense seeing as they were partners.

"So, why are we following this lead at 4pm on a Friday, when you _know_ it's my weekend with Grace?" It had been a few days since one of Danny's spiels – actually, the last time was the one he had after the shootout.

"You know how sorry I am to take you away from her, Danno, but this lead could be key to breaking that case and putting the murderer behind bars."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

"The same about of times it takes for you to realize I won't stop calling you that," the Commander replied with a smirk.

Danny responded with a roll of his eyes, to which Steve laughed at. Danny turned his head to look out the window, watching the scenery passing as they drove toward whatever destination they were going to – Steve hadn't exactly divulged that information to him.

He heard Steve's sigh, and felt as the Camaro was pushed a little more – obviously the Commander had a change of thoughts and wanted this over and done with.

_Maybe he thinks my bad mood is contagious_, Danny thought. _I wouldn't put it past Steve to even consider it, the damn stupid super-SEAL._

"We're here." The two got out of the car and walked cautiously onto the grounds of a run-down property. It still struck Danny how "normal" some parts of Hawai'i could appear.

Steve paused and held up a hand, and Danny chalked it up to Steve's super-SEAL powers picking up on something. His suspicions were confirmed as he watched as Steve quietly pulled out his gun, raising it before glancing back at him.

Danny nodded and copied his boss' actions, before the two carefully and silently moved forward.

They had just reached the edge of the house when the obvious sounds of someone within the building met Danny's ears. The two men exchanged looks before Steve kicked in the door, and both men entered.

"Five-0!" they both shouted, guns pointed directly ahead as their eyes quickly scanned the room. They both paused as they saw an open window, curtains fluttering in the gentle breeze.

"They always have to run." Danny groaned as Steve followed the perp's path out of the window. "Every single damn time, Steve has to play hero and chase the bastard down."

He shook his head and moved to re-holster his weapon, when a noise from further back in the house caught his attention. Danny silently moved through the rooms, pausing when he saw the door slightly ajar.

He stepped close, peering through the gap, seeing two people – a man and a woman – passed out cold on a camp bed.

_Too easy_, Danny thought with a roll of his eyes, quietly entering the room. He cursed silently when he realized he only had one pair of cuffs with him. He went over the options in his mind, sneaking up to the couple. He swiftly cuffed the male, groaning as he woke, thrashing around.

The female jumped with a start, screaming as her eyes fell on Danny and the struggling man.

Luckily, at that moment, Steve re-entered the house, this time with the HPD backup he requested earlier. The LEO's cuffed the woman and toted her and the man to one of the squad cars.

Steve made sure to tell them to keep the two separate, and for no one other than himself or his taskforce operatives question them. He put the runner in the back of a different squad car, and asked for him to be taken directly to the Five-0 interrogation rooms, before joining Danny back at the Camaro.

"You okay?"

"Am I okay? Are you serious? I just watched you vault out of the window to chase a perp when we hadn't even cleared the house! What if one of those two had a gun? What the hell happened to following procedure?"

"But they didn't have a gun, and you weren't hurt!"

"So I'm worth risking, just to get a hold of someone who may not even be useful to a case turned cold six months ago?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Steve replied through gritted teeth.

"Tell me then, Steven, what did you mean? Because I am clearly failing to understand how your Neanderthal brain works."

"Just stop, Danny, okay?"

The blonde could see his partner was clearly seething in anger. He took in the tightened jaw, the rigid posture and the whitened knuckles as the steering wheel was gripped tighter. He shook his head and turned to look out the window, not wanting to anger the ex-Lieutenant any further, even if every single point in his argument was true.

* * *

><p>"A dead end. Just for once I'd like this case not to end up with a dead end." Lori, Chin and Danny nodded in agreement to Kono's statement, thankful Steve was busy updating the governor of their status.<p>

"Didn't you say there was something irregular with…"

Danny moved toward his office, catching only part of what Lori said. He grabbed his keys and, just as quickly as he entered, left his office, saying a quick goodbye to Lori and Kono, who were now bent over the main computer table. He bumped into Chin on the way out, saying a quick, "see you," before continuing on to his car.

He paused after climbing in, breathing in slowly as he scrubbed his hands over his face. When he looked back up, Danny's eyes fell on the unmistakable figure of Steve, who was walking back across the green. Nobody else was outside, which in hindsight, made the next sequence of events hard to comprehend.

Danny watched as Steve turned his head, spotting him sitting in the car. One of his bright, contagious smiles appeared on his face, and Danny felt his own lips turn up in a smile in response.

All it took was a blink. One moment Danny was watching Steve start to walk towards him, and the next moment, his ears were ringing as he watched, wide-eyed as the ex-SEAL fell to the ground.

He scrambled for the door, hurrying over to the man lying on the ground. He could feel his eyes filling with tears as he dropped to his knees next to Steve, pressing his hands against the gunshot wound in his chest.

"Somebody call 9-1-1!" he shouted, his voice hoarse and his throat thick with tears. By that point, the rest of the Five-0 team were outside, having heard the gunshot, and Danny's frantic call.

Danny didn't look to see who was calling; he was too busy focusing on keeping the pressure on Steve's wound. He could feel the blood flowing from under his hand, hot and sticky as it slid between his fingers, staining Steve's pale-blue shirt a dark, menacing color.

"Danno," the brunette choked out, obviously getting distressed, but trying his hardest not to show how much pain he was in.

"No," Danny started, pressing down harder as he felt his own breathing quicken. "You are not allowed to talk like that, Steven. You have to fight. We need you."

His eyes widened as Steve's breathing got even shallower, watching even more color drain from the Commander's face as his eyes started closing.

"God dammit, Steve! Stay with me! I need you, you stupid super-SEAL." His breath caught in his throat as he heard the sirens, and the sounds of the paramedics running over. Danny almost jumped as he felt Steve's hand wrap around his wrist, squeezing lightly before the grip loosened.

"Don't you dare fucking die on me, Steve! I love you!" He didn't realized the words he had said; not even when Kono pulled him away to let the paramedics see to Steve.

Danny was in shock; he was all but frozen in Kono's arms, feeling a strange warmth on his hands, as well as on his cheeks. He cast his eyes down, seeing his hands stained red. His eyes flicked back up to Kono, who by that point had managed to lead Danny back into HQ.

"Lori's in the ambulance with Steve. We're gonna get you cleaned up and then off to the hospital to see him."

Danny nodded, but felt as if he were almost forgetting about something. He methodically washed his hands when Kono gave him a gentle nudge, looking up at her when he was done. "Gracie?"

"Chin went to get her from school. He also called Rachel to fill her in."

Danny nodded, the shock still almost controlling his movements. Kono led him out to her car, and they set off for the hospital, both of them worrying about their boss. As Kono drove, she couldn't help but wonder if Danny realized the words he had shouted at Steve.

He sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair, his elbows resting on his knees as he held his face in his hands. Danny could feel both Lori's and Kono's hand slowly rubbing along his spine in a soothing manner. _If only it was working._

They had been waiting for close to an hour for some kind of news, but so far, there was nothing. It was setting the three Five-0 members on edge. It took all Danny's control not to go up to the nurses' station and _demand_ an update.

Danny was having trouble grasping at what happened. It was like he was viewing a movie, each time he thought it over, and compared his view with Lori's and Kono's. They all knew they'd be giving their statements sooner or later, so they wanted to try and corroborate their stories and sort through hundreds of muddled thoughts to get there, together.

Danny had just shifted around, sitting himself back in the chair and laying his head back with his eyes closed, when he felt something pressed against his lap and chest.

He jumped slightly, before opening his eyes and angling his head down, seeing Grace curled up tightly in his lap. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her small body closer, relishing in the comfort she managed to always bring him.

"Is Uncle Steve gonna be okay, Danno?"

Danny closed his eyes as he rest his head on his daughter's, whispering back in a broken voice, "I don't know, Monkey. I really don't."

The two Williams' remained curled up together as more people slowly filled the waiting room, all eagerly awaiting news of Steve's condition. Chin had the foresight to call Mary, and he kept checking his cell, waiting on news that she had gotten a seat on a flight to O'ahu booked.

The hallway was quickly filling; Lori, Chin, Kono, Rachel, Grace, Danny, the Governor, Max, Joe, Kamekona, and even Charlie Fong were all awaiting the surgeon's news. Even though there were a lot of people there, no one spoke. They didn't want to risk saying the wrong thing, especially when they could see just how hard Danny was taking this. Most of the Five-0 team were thinking over Danny's shouted words, Grace and Rachel were trying to be strong for Danny, whilst the rest of them remained in silence, praying to whoever or whatever they believed in that Steve would pull through.

Just as Danny noticed Grace falling asleep in his arms, the surgeon came into the waiting room, removing his scrub cap from his head.

"Is there a Danny Williams here?"

Danny raised his hand and tried to work out how to move Grace from his lap without disturbing her. Kamekona chuckled low and carefully lifted her from Danny's lap, before laying her against Rachel. He then proceeded to move to one of the nurse's stations, while Danny went along with the doctor, into a more private area.

"Please, take a seat, Mr. Williams."

Danny nodded and lowered himself into the chair, rubbing his hands over his face, before murmuring, "How is he?"

"He's stable at the moment, but it was a little dicey there for a moment. We'll be keeping him in ICU for a couple of days, just to make absolute sure he's in the clear."

"Oh, thank god," Danny breathed out, pressing his face into his hands, trying to regain some sort of composure as tears threatened to spill down his cheeks.

"Now, were you aware that you are listed as Mr. McGarrett's next of kin?"

"Wait… what?" Danny blinked and lifted his head, looking straight at the doctor. "What about his sister?"

"I'm unsure, Mr. Williams; that's something you'd have to ask Mr. McGarrett -"

"Steve," Danny interrupted.

"Sorry, something you'd have to ask Steve when he wakes."

"How long do you think that'll be?"

The doctor removed his glasses, thoughtfully cleaning them before replying to Danny. "I honestly couldn't tell you. It could be in the middle of the night, or as late as lunch time tomorrow. It all depends on how well the anesthetic leaves his system, and how fast he wants to wake up. All we can do is wait."

"Can I…" Danny sighed, struggling with his words and thoughts as he looked imploringly at the doctor. His heart and his mind were at war with each other, and he didn't know which to listen to. "Can I stay the night with him? In case he wakes up?"

The doctor smiled, understanding the real, unspoken truth as to why Danny wanted to stay with Steve. It was as plain as the nose on his face, but he had a feeling Danny didn't know just how obvious he was being. "We have a spare cot set up in his room already, so that's no problem."

A small smile graced Danny's lips as he nodded at the doctor, silently thanking him for being so kind and thoughtful about everything that was happening today. Danny was still having trouble wrapping his head around it all, but at least everyone was being helpful and patient as he tried to move forward.

"Now, I'm sure you want to pass the good news on to everyone else. When you're ready, one of the nurses will show your group to the ICU. But I do ask only two visitors at a time. We're waiving the usual visiting hours rule for you, seeing Mr. – Steve's place in the Hawaiian community."

"Thank you," Danny said as he stood, shaking the doctor's hand, a watery smile playing on his lips. The doctor nodded and stood also, showing Danny back to the group. Smiles and tears were all around as Danny shared the news of Steve's recovery.

As they were all led down to the ICU ward, Danny carried Grace on his back, relishing in the gentle comfort her presence brought him.

They followed the ruled laid out by the nurses, going in two at a time, and for no longer than twenty minutes each. Danny insisted everyone go in and see Steve before him and Grace, sending Rachel home after she had gone in briefly to see the Commander. He knew Grace would want to stay with him, and be as close to Uncle Steve as possible, until she saw that he was alright.

One by one, the group slowly got smaller, until it was only Danny and his very sleepy daughter left. The two went into Steve's room, sitting together on the chair at his bedside.

He took in the almost relaxed look of his partner; ashen faced, but completely free of worry or stress. He was hooked to a ventilator and a heart monitor, both sounds in the background, meant to be soothing, but keeping Danny on edge. He knew they were showing that Steve was alive and well, but they represented all that was wrong with the situation, and what else could potentially go wrong with it. _He may be out of surgery, but as the doctor said, it doesn't mean he's in the clear._

He held grace to his chest with one hand, the other moving to grasp Steve's limp one. He gingerly linked their fingers together, squeezing gently hoping for some kind of response. He sighed when he realized his efforts were futile, remembering that the doctor said he would be out for a few more hours, at the very least.

"Wake up, Uncle Steve," Grace whispered, and Danny ducked his head, noticing tears on his daughter's cheeks. His heart broke a little more in that moment. He didn't realize just how much Steve meant to his daughter, and how much a situation like this would affect her. In the back of his mind, he was kind of glad it happened to Steve, because he was the one who'd be able to bounce back the most from injury.

_What if it had been me?_ He shook his head to cut off the rest of that thought, not wanting to go there and get himself worked up again. It wouldn't be good for himself, Steve or Grace.

"He'll wake up when he's ready, Monkey. And we'll be right here for him when he does." Danny smiled as Grace nodded, and he felt her cuddling into him more. He gently kissed her head and watched as her eyes got heavier, his fingers absently playing with Steve's.

"Please, wake up soon, Steven. You have a family here that needs you, and loves you." He breathed in slowly, gripping Steve's hand a little tighter, before saying in a strong, unwavering voice, "I love you."

* * *

><p>Danny stirred when he heard the familiar sound of Grace's giggles meeting his ears. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the harsh lighting of the hospital room, ignoring the painful crick in his neck from sleeping in the chair. He took in the sight of Grace curled up on the hospital bed, Steve's arm wrapped around her. The ventilator was gone, and some color had returned to Steve's skin.<p>

"Hope you're not hurting Uncle Steve, Monkey," he sleepily said, sitting up and stretching, grimacing as he felt the strain in his joints, his muscles protesting loudly.

"It's okay, Danno. Uncle Steve doesn't mind."

"Yeah, Danno," Steve grinned, putting emphasis on the Grace-given nickname. Danny thought he was far too doped up on painkillers, based on the expression gracing his features.

"If you're sure, Steven." He smiled, watching how relaxed his daughter and Steve were together. "How long was I asleep for?"

"Well, it's after breakfast, Danno. Uncle Steve and I had pancakes."

Danny's eyes widened as he realized he slept for more than half the night, before his eyes narrowed. "And where exactly did you get pancakes? Cause last time I checked, hospital food was awful, tasteless stuff which no one would step three feet near."

"Uhh, that would be my fault." A sheepish female voice came from the doorway, and Danny smiled as he saw Mary standing there with a nurse. She had two coffees in hand, and moved toward him, handing over one of the take away cups. Grace jumped down from the bed, and the nurse pottered around, checking all of Steve's vitals, the site of his wound, scribbling all her findings onto his chart.

"How's he doing?"

"No signs of infection, which is always good. The fever he had earlier seems to have dropped, too. If we're lucky, we'll have Mr. McGarrett out of ICU and into a regular room by dinner time."

Danny smiled and thanked the nurse, watching as Grace, Mary and Steve all broke out in similar expressions.

"Yay! Can I go call Auntie Kono and Uncle Chin?" Grace was bouncing where she stood, and Danny chuckled before nodding his assent.

"I'll go with her," Mary smiled, shooting him and Steve a look before ushering Grace out of the room, the nurse following behind.

"Subtle," Steve murmured, shifting slightly before looking up at Danny. It was only then the blonde realized he still had a tight grip on the Commander's hand.

With flushed cheeks and a stammered apology, Danny dropped Steve's hand, and looked away.

"I heard what you said, you know," Steve commented, flexing his fingers and letting out a small, almost indistinguishable sigh. "Both times."

Danny furrowed his brow, lifting his head to look at the man lying in the bed. He drew his lower lip between his teeth, biting down softly, missing the flicker of emotion that shot over Steve's face.

"And what did I say?" Danny was honestly confused as to what Steve was referring to, but he knew – well, more like hoped – Steve would shed light on the conversation soon.

Steve reached out, grasping Danny's fidgeting hand with his own, speaking low, "That you loved me."

"Oh." Danny was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say to the man before him, not at all. He was scared of rejection, but also scared of the other end of the spectrum. What if Steve returned his feelings? What would happen then?

"There's no "oh" about it, Danno," Steve replied as his eyes closed. "'specially when I feel the same way."

Danny turned to look at Steve once the spoken words registered, but couldn't help the sigh that left his lips when he saw Steve had fallen asleep.

_It's probably those damn drugs talking for him_, Danny thought bitterly as he squeezed Steve's hand, waiting for Mary and Grace to return.

* * *

><p>It had been a month since Steve had been shot; a month of Danny being in charge at Five-0, a month of Mary hovering over Steve like a mother hen; a month of the Five-0 team and all their friends – even Grace and Rachel – wondering when the Detective and the Commander were going to get together.<p>

The good news to come out of the month was that Five-0 had managed to track and arrest the lowlife that put Steve in the hospital to begin with. In the end, it all came down to revenge; the shooter was related to someone that got caught in the firing line during one of the drugs busts Five-0 made.

But now Steve was returning to work, and Lori, Chin and Kono needed to stop with the hushed whispers Danny pretended not to hear.

The blond had it in his head that the declaration that occurred around Steve's accident never happened, and in the back of his mind, Danny hoped his boss would think the same.

They had both been skirting around the issue, even during the many visits Danny made at the hospital, and to Steve's house during his recuperation period. But today would be a real test as to whether they could deal with being around each other, and pretend everything was hunky dory.

Of course, Steve didn't fully remember what had taken place in the hospital, but he had a fair idea that something important went down, especially if the comments from his team and friends were anything to go by. Subtle, apparently, was not a word in any of their vocabularies.

Danny spent most of Steve's first day back in his office, covering other paperwork that didn't relate to funding for the taskforce, or permits, or meetings with the Governor. If there was one thing he was happy about concerning Steve returning to work, it was that he no longer had to deal with the Governor and the political side of Five-0.

It wasn't that Governor Denning was a bad person; not at all. It was more of the fact that Danny was glad to be free of the endless meetings – which he had to try his hardest not to fall asleep through – and horrid paperwork – which he constantly tried to fob off to one of the other Five-0 members, unsuccessfully. Steve was definitely more suited to that kind of stuff.

As he finished up the last of his paperwork, he let out a deep sigh, dropping the pen to the desk before gingerly rubbing his temples.

"Everything okay, Danno?"

He looked up, seeing Steve leaning against the door of his office, arms crossed over his broad chest. _God, he looks so sexy_. He swallowed at the fleeting thought, closing his eyes before rubbing them with his fingers.

"Just peachy," he replied, shaking his head as he stood, moving towards the door. He shot a pointed look to Steve, who moved away, before exiting his office.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve asked as he followed Danny from the building, reaching out to him.

Danny spun around, his eyes meeting Steve's as he spoke, "Exactly what it sounds like it's supposed to mean."

He felt himself backed against the wall, Steve's hand pressed firmly against his shoulder as his breathing quickened.

"Tell me what's going on, Danny."

He swallowed and shrunk back into the wall, off-put by Steve's sudden close proximity. Danny could feel Steve's breath hitting his face, the warmth of his hand pressed against his clothed shoulder burning through the fabric.

"Nothing," the blonde started to reply, subconsciously leaning in closer to his boss. "Nothing that concerns you."

Steve smirked in response, slowly closing the gap between him and Danny. "Oh, I think it does concern me, Danno."

Their lips were just a hair's breadth apart, and Steve took a step closer, forcing his body against Danny's, their lips colliding in a heated kiss.

Danny brought his hands up, pressing them against Steve's chest and pushing him roughly away. "What the fuck, Steven?"

"Don't tell me you don't want it," the brunette murmured, his hand moving from the blonde's shoulder to his cheek, cupping it softly. "I remember the words you said to me, Danno. The way you screamed out your love for me when you thought I was dying."

Danny couldn't hold back the moan he wanted so badly to conceal as his body bucked into Steve's, hanging onto his partner's every word.

"All I could think about after you screamed that out was how good it would be to hear you scream my name as I pounded into you from behind."

"Jesus, fuck, Steve," Danny groaned, his hands seeking out Steve's body, tracing the muscled of his arms and shoulders.

"How long, Danny?" Steve's words were muffled against the skin of Danny's neck, sending shivers that wracked the Detective's whole body. "How long have you loved me?"

Danny's hand moved from Steve's shoulder and into his hair, tugging his head closer to his neck. He moaned as he felt teeth grazing against his skin, his whole body arching into Steve's. "Since – fuck – since the moment you paid for the hotel for Grace and I."

"Fuck," Steve breathed out, his hands tipping Danny's face up slightly as he brought their lips back together in a slower, almost tender kiss.

Danny's arms slowly wound around Steve's neck, pulling him closer as the kisses drew deeper and more meaningful.

"Not here," Steve moaned as he pulled away from the Detective's lips, licking his own as his eyes connected to the sparkling blue of Danny's.

The blonde pulled his lower lip between his teeth as he returned Steve's lust-filled gaze. As he composed himself and pushed away from the wall, he spoke, "Where, then?"

"My place. Tonight." Steve smirked as he watched Danny's eyes darken with lust, nodding in affirmation.

"I'll be there," Danny replied gruffly, glancing into Steve's eyes one final time before pushing away from the wall completely and continuing on his journey to the Camaro.

* * *

><p>He was trying his hardest not to talk himself out of getting out of his car and entering Steve's house. He wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run.<p>

_I want to be here_, Danny told himself with absolute finality, stepping out of his car.

He saw there were no lights on in the house, so Danny walked the path he took just over a month ago, smiling as he saw Steve standing on the sand, his back to the house as he looked off into the distance.

Danny watched Steve from a short distance, seeing the way his clothes hugged his body and the way the slight wind ruffled his hair.

Closing his eyes and willing back his growing erection, Danny quietly moved up behind Steve, wrapping his arms around the taller man's waist. He rest his cheek against his partner's back and breathed in, hearing Steve's slight chuckle.

"Is that your gun against my back, or are you happy to see me?"

"Really, Steven? Could you get any more clichéd?" Danny dropped his arms from around Steve and turned, heading back towards the house, hoping the brunette would follow.

"Enough talk," Steve said once he had caught up to Danny, spinning him around and pinning him against the wall.

"Just waiting for you to make your move, super-SEAL," Danny replied, his hands on the small of Steve's back, slipping under the material of his shirt. His warm palms caressed the smooth skin as their lips met in a tender, yet passion-filled kiss, which soon grew deeper as the lust between the two grew.

With a gentle groan, Steve pulled away, his lips trailing down over his partner's jaw, a line of kisses moving over his skin, trailing to the sensitive spot behind his ear.

Danny gasped as he felt Steve's warm breath against his ear, feeling his slacks tighten even further.

"Fuck, Danny, is this all because of me?"

Danny jumped slightly as Steve's hand covered his rapidly growing arousal, palming and squeezing him slightly. The blonde moaned in response, unable to formulate the words needed to articulate his feelings.

"I didn't catch that, Danno," Steve murmured, causing Danny to shiver as soft lips brushed over his earlobe.

The blonde nodded his response, not daring to speak, for fear of what could potentially fall from his lips.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Steve's hands started pulling at Danny's belt as he continued to whisper. "Do you want me to make you come undone? With my hands, or perhaps with my mouth?"

"I want," Danny started, his breath hitching in his throat as he drew back, meeting Steve's eyes with his own. "I want you to fuck me, Steven, and I won't take no for an answer."

"Who's in charge here?" Steve asked in his husky voice, giving Danny's almost throbbing erection a painful squeeze.

All the breath left Danny's lungs as his hips bucked, needing to feel more of the brunette against his body. "You are."

Steve nodded and pulled away, grabbing Danny's hand and leading him up the stairs and into his bedroom.

As soon as they were inside, Danny felt as he was pushed back against the bed. He looked up to see Steve leaning over his body, his fingers working at the buttons of Danny's shirt.

He tilted his head back into the pillows as he felt Steve's lips and fingers make their way down his chest, his body arching into each nip and suck against his skin. In the back of his mind, Danny knew Steve was laying his claim, marking his body so that no one else could have him. That thought alone shot a burst of lust through Danny's body, settling deep in his stomach.

His eyes closed as he felt Steve pulling at his slacks, and his hands fisted the sheets beneath him as his partner's warm breath flowed over his throbbing shaft.

Danny's fingers automatically slid into his partner's hair, tugging his face closer to where he needed him most.

"Please," he all but begged, through a deep moan, tensing as Steve's finger lightly trailed up and down his length.

"Oh no, not yet, Danno." Steve's lips started a trail from the blonde's hip, moving up his stomach and over his chest. Steve's tongue flicked over Danny's nipple, causing the man below him to groan and arch up toward Steve's mouth.

Danny gasped as he felt teeth grazing over his sensitive skin, his hands tugging Steve higher before slamming their lips together in a hungry kiss. His hands tugged at Steve's clothes, moaning as each inch of exposed flesh pressed against him.

He felt his partner's lips move back to his neck, as one hand wrapped around his wrists, pinning his arms above his head.

"Don't move an inch."

Danny slowly opened his eyes, seeing the lust reflected in the Commander's. He gulped and reached for the headboard, his fingers grabbing hold and anchoring him down.

"You look so fucking good spread out for me," Steve spoke huskily, as he reached into the side table, withdrawing a couple of items. He lay them on the bed as he continued to speak low to Danny. "So hard for me; positively throbbing, waiting to be thoroughly fucked. Are you going to scream my name as I make you come?"

"Fuck," Danny breathed out, gripping the headboard tighter as he heard a soft click next to him. He tried not to whimper as he prepared himself for what was coming next, but the idea sent shocks of arousal through his body.

"I'm going to pound into you until you beg me to stop, and then maybe, just maybe, I'll taste you, and I'll let you return the favor."

"Fuck me, already," Danny growled through gritted teeth, the sound catching in his throat as he felt one slick finger teasing his entrance. He bit down on his lip as the cool digit slowly entered him. He shuddered at the intrusion, trying to ignore the slight twinge of pain as Steve introduced a second finger.

Soon he was a moaning mess as Steve twisted his fingers, pressing against a spot within him that caused his breath to hitch, his body go rigid and dots appear in his vision.

"God!"

"Not God," Steve murmured, breathing hotly in Danny's ear. "Just Steve."

Danny shivered as he felt Steve's teeth grazing over the skin just behind his ear. His mouth fell open in a moan as a third finger breached him, joining the other two in stretching him open. He reached blindly for Steve, pulling him around and into a passion filled kiss as his hips lifted off the bed.

"Take me now, Steven." The words were spoken against Steve's lips, and the brunette smirked as he pulled his fingers away. He expertly unwrapped and rolled on a condom, slicking his latex-covered length with lube as he returned each one of Danny's steamy, lust fuelled kisses.

Danny felt the absence of Steve's lips as he was shifted slightly on the bed, a pillow placed under his lower back to lift his hips. He spread his legs and grasped his erection, stroking it slowly as he looked up at Steve with hooded eyes.

"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this moment?"

"Do you know how long I've dreamed about fucking you?" Steve rebutted, hooking Danny's legs over his forearms before lining himself up, groaning deep in his chest as the head of his throbbing cock breached Danny's body.

"Then fuck me," Danny replied, his own hand tightening around his hardness, faltering in its movements.

"With pleasure."

His grip on his length completely slackened and his head fell back against the pillows as Steve surged into him in one deep, powerful thrust. Danny cried out in sheer passion, the burn of Steve's sudden and harsh entry taking his breath away, the pain mingling with the pleasure, before the two completely merged, spiking Danny's desire.

Steve bent his body forward, his lips brushing over Danny's neck as he waited for the okay to start moving. In the back of his mind, he knew that he had probably entered Danny too harshly, but he couldn't find it in himself to care at that precise moment in time; he had the man he had been fantasizing about for the better part of 18 or more months beneath him, all but writhing in pleasure.

A few moments later, Danny gave a slight nod of his head, his eyes opening partially as Steve started shallowly thrusting into him.

"Yes," he moaned low, feeling Steve's hand wrap around his cock, the tip now weeping with precome.

"You're so tight; so hot, Danno. I don't think I'll last long." Steve's words were forced out as he continually bottomed out within Danny.

Their eyes met as Steve thrust deeper and tightened his grip on Danny's cock, swiping his thumb over the swollen head, spreading the moisture around.

"Me neither," Danny managed to reply, meeting each of Steve's thrusts and bucking his hips into his partner's tight grip.

They were a flurry of kisses, frantic tugs and powerful thrusts, but soon both men were completely on edge and ready to let go.

"A little… more," Danny gasped, and Steve tightened his hand and sped up the movement of his fist. With each upstroke, he twisted his hand, his whole palm rubbing against the pulsing head. Danny cried out Steve's name, his back arching and his muscles clamping down on Steve's length as his climax hit, his release spurting from him and coating Steve's hand and his own stomach.

The heat and tightness of Danny was enough to send Steve careening over the edge, burying to the hilt within the blonde as he exploded, a hoarse cry of Danny's name leaving his lips.

With what little strength he had left, Steve pulled from Danny and removed the condom, tying it and tossing it in the bin by his bed.

Danny looked up through half-lidded eyes and watched as Steve slowly licked his release from his long fingers, before ducking his head to lap the spilt come from his stomach. He moaned deeply as his fingers thread back into the brunette locks, pulling his head up.

"You taste fucking amazing," Steve whispered huskily, dropping his lips to Danny's, kissing him deeply and transferring the last remnants of his flavor. Danny returned the kiss with as much enthusiasm as he could. As they parted, Steve rolled onto his back and pulled Danny on top of him, cradling him to his chest.

As he traced his fingers over the scars left from his gunshot wound and the subsequent surgery, Danny felt a soft rumble from beneath his ear.

"It was when I first saw you, flashing your badge as you pointed a gun at me."

"What was, babe?" Danny replied sleepily, his fingers lazily moving over the ink adorning Steve's tanned skin.

"That was the moment I fell in love with you."


End file.
